Breast-harness



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.) l

B. MODEVIT'T.

BREAST HARNE$S- No. 323,436. Patented Aug. 4, 1885.

Nv PETERS, Fhmc-Umogmphnn Wnhiugmn, n. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

- B. MoDEVITT.

BREAST HARNESS. No. 323,436. Patented Aug. 4, 1885.

UNITED STATES BERNARD MCDEVITT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BREAST-HARNESS.

SPECIFICATIbNfoIming part of Letters Patent No. 323,436, dated August 4-, 1885.

(No model.)

J0 all whom it 71mg concern:

Be it known that I, BERNARD MoDEvIr'r, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, and a citizen of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Breastflarness, of which the following is a full description, refercnce being had to the accompanying draw ings, in which Figure 1 shows a horse with the harness thereon, showing the relative arrangement of the parts composing the harness in their relation to the horse; Fig. 2, a detail showing the connection for the front of the breast-straps; Fig. 3, a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5, a face and edge view, respectively, of the breast-yoke; Fig. 6, a detail enlarged of the side plate to which the tugs, back and belly-bands, and breast-straps are attached; Fig. 7, an edge view of the side plate and the backing therefor; Fig. 8, an edge view of the side plate; Fig. 9, a detail of the tug end which attaches to the side plate.

The object of this invention is to simplify that style of harness known or termedbreast, and decrease the liability of injurious effects from such style of harness in use; and its nature consists in the several parts and combinations of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims, as new for attaining the object sought.

In the drawings, A represents a yoke-connection, made of malleable iron,brass, or other suitable material, consisting of a central curved portion, a, at the center of which is an enlargement, a, having, as shown, an oval opening, and end portions joined to the central curved portions, b, each end piece 6 having thereon an upwardlystandingloop, c, and these parts a b c, composing the yoke A, may be cast or formed of asingle piece, or they can be made of separate pieces suitably joined together.

B is a metal plate, made of malleable iron, brass, or other suitable material, cast or 0therwise formed to have at one end ribs d,at the top and bottom in each of which is a longitudinal slot, 0!, and having also atthis end a vertical bar or pin, a, as shown in Figs. 7 and S, and, as sh0wn,the plate has on its outer face a hook, f, formed as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, or in any other suitable shape.

C represents the breaststraps, one for each side of the horse, as usual. The forward end of each strap is bent around and brought over on the exterior face ofthe plate B, to which plate it is firmly secured by riveting or otherwise, and, as shown, between the end of the breast-strap and the face of the plate and around the inner edge of the plate is inserted a backing; iece, g, of leather or other suitable material.

D represents the pads secured one to the inner face of each breast-strap G in any usual and well-known manner.

E represents backing-pieces, of leather or other suitable materia ,to which. is secured the metal plate 13, as shown in Fig.6, by means of rivets or otherwise, to have the backing-piece E come between the plate and the horse, a plate,

B, attached to a backing-piece, E, being provided for each side of the horse, and each plate is attached to its respective breast-strap O by passing the rear end of such strap around the pin or part c, and stitching or otherwise securing it in place, as shown in Fig. 6.

F is a strap passing over the neck of the horse, as usual, and divided into two straps, one of which, F,passes down and is buckled or otherwise secured to the loop c,and the other, F, of which passes down and is buckled or otherwise secured to the breast-strap 0 near the rear end, as shown in Fig. 1, a strap, F and F, being provided for each side of the harness.

G is a pad or backing-piece, of leather or other suitable material, for the neck of the animal, as usual, over which piece G the bar F passes.

H is a pad or bearingpiece, of leather or other suitable material, for the back of the horse.

I is the backhand running over the pad H and attached at its ends to the upper crossbars (1 in the slots (2 of the plates B, on each side.

J is the belly-band, attached at its end to the lower ribs (Z in the slots (1 of the plates B, on each side.

K is a tug, made of rope, leather, rawhide,

IOO

or any other suitable material, having at its forward end a suitable connecting eye or loop by which it can be hooked onto the hook f, a tug being provided for each side, as usual.

The yoke A has its curved portion a. of sufficient diameter to stand clear of the throat of the horse when the pads D are in contact with the foreshoulder, so that when drawing the yoke will not compress the throat, but will be free and clear thereof.

The harness is placed on the horse with the neck-pad G on top of the neck, as usual, and the side-straps F F running down substantially as shown in Fig. 1, and the breast-straps O on each side and in front of the animal, and the back and belly bands are buckled into place on the plate B, and the tugs attached at their forward ends to the hooks f, and at their rear ends to the whiflletrce or other draft attachment.

The yoke A furnishes a ready means for the attachment of the breast-straps, and at the same time, by reason of the wide end plates, b, and curved central portion, a, the throat of the animal is left clear, and the breast-straps C kept from drawing on the breast and throat of the horse.

The plates B furnish a ready means for the attachment of the back and belly bands and the hitch of the tug, and, being very light, they do not rub and bear against the sides of the horse, as is the case with the usual form of this style of harness.

It will be noi-ieed that the plates 1) at their inner ends have an outward curve,throwing their extreme inner ends away from contact with the shoulder of the animal; and by reason of this peculiar curve of the plates 1), together with the interposed flexible strips 9, a connection is provided for the breast strap which will possess all the benefits and advantages of a hinged connection at this point without any of the disadvantages, as the connection is unbroken at the point where it bears against the animal, so that with the movement of the animal no bending of the connection will occur which would rub the skin or produce injurious effects, and at the same time the yield will be over the entire surface of g, and not at one particular point, as with the ordinary hinge or pivot connection, so that the connection is very much stronger, and at the same time no one point is exposed to ill effects from the bending. The flexible connection thus formed by the curved end of b and the flexible strap or interposed piece g'possesses the necessary rigidity furnished by the plate I) to resist the strain in use; and as the connection is also flexible to the limit of the yield of the interposed piece g, the harness can be used with animals of different breadths across the foreshoulders, without injury to the shoulders, as the pads act to carry the yoke forward, carrying forward also the flexible connection between the yoke and the breaststraps.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a breast-harness, the plates B, having the slotted ribs (Z and vertical pin (2, and hook f, for the attachment of the back and belly bands, breast-straps, and tugs, substantially as specified.

2. The yoke A, constructed substantially as described, in combination with the breaststraps C and straps g, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The yoke A, constructed substantially as described, and breast-straps O, in combination with the plates B, constructed substantially as described, and backing-piece E, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

BERNARD MIODEVITT.

Vitnesses:

0. WV. BOND, H. '1. JONES. 

